What They Don't Tell You at the Hair Salon: Work Out Hair

What They Don't Tell You at the Hair Salon: Work Out Hair: "“Let’s get physical, physical. I wanna get physical, physical. Let me hear your body talk, your body talk.” Olivia Newton John sang that son..."

Work Out Hair

“Let’s get physical, physical. I wanna get physical, physical. Let me hear your body talk, your body talk.” Olivia Newton John sang that song back in the 80’s. It was popular. The craze of jazzercise, exercise and yep Richard Simmons was off the chain! Jane Fonda (who still got it going on) was setting the tone and the trend for getting physical and making lifestyle changes. She was anti fad diets and image riddled fitness clubs. 

In the beginning, middle, somewhere towards the end, hair care and exercise was never an issue. Women of every race just danced the pounds away and never complained about hair care.

Fast forward to today and voila, women are being very vocal about exercise and their hair. I do not know if like alcoholism back in the day, people just did not talk about it, or are women today being some sissies? Whatever the case may be, women are serious about exercising and their hair. Like all the other hype in hair care, some salons and hair stylists have decided to take this cry and turn it into, yet another crisis they can capitalize off of. I do not know how they do it. I have heard of hair styles, hair wraps, hair scarves and everything in between that is promoted and marketed as “safe” or “great” for those who work out.

What a pack of bologna! And I am not talking Oscar Meyer either. There is no such style or cloth that is “safe” or “great” for those who work out. If you want to exercise for any reason and you are concerned about your hair, read on. I say, " Well, be that…concerned and EXERCISE any way." There, I said it. Whew, I feel liberated. As a cosmetologist, I have serviced hundreds of women who specifically came to me looking for this “safe” and “great” for those who work out hair services. My first thought is always, “Are you really going to pay me for me to tell you this?”

Honestly people, hair textures and types are like fabrics. If you have ever worn clothes or made clothes (regardless the cost) you have got to know that if you get your fabric wet or moist in the slightest or wettest (is that a word…any whoo) way, the state of the fabric will change. And when it dries, it will not be the same as it was from when you put them on earlier. Are you with me?

You can braid your hair, tie it down, wrap it around, sew it in, glue it in, loc it, tree braid it, cut it low, wear it “natural”, spiral curl it, ponytail it, finger wave it, scrunch it, French roll it and so on and so on, underneath it all; the fabric will somehow have changed after you have exercised/got it wet or moist. Granted some who exercise will only get moist and while others sweat as if they are under the interrogation lights for hours. It does not matter, that fabric/hair will change. Also,  after you have worked out for so many days (hmmm, like 3-4), your hair must to be cleaned and restyled all over again.

So you might as well make a lifestyle change or get in on the fitness craze. No excuses. Go the gym, boot camp, personal trainer, Zumba, pop in a DVD, turn on Fit TV and more to your health’s content. 

Lastly if you think exercising is great for the body and mind, what do you think it will do for your hair? Let's get physical (in my Olivia Newton John voice cracking)!